My Hero Academia: Deku & Uraraka's romance overshadows Bakugo, explained

My Hero Academia is a manga series with a lot of interesting dynamics. Whether it's between the heroes and their pupils, the heroes between themselves or with the villains, and so on, the series is known for these relationships. Of these, Deku and Uraraka's romance is one of the best and most controversial.

The reason for the controversy is the connection this potential romantic relationship has with another character, Katsuki Bakugo. The explosive hero has had a complicated relationship with Deku over the years and some fans have shipped them as a potential romance, which has frustrated some parts of the fandom.

However, the romance between Deku and Uraraka makes a lot more sense than one between the former and Bakugo in the My Hero Academia canon.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia series.

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The Deku and Uraraka romance in My Hero Academia and the ramifications of it

The moment Izuku Midoriya, commonly known as Deku, met Ochako Uraraka in the early chapters of the My Hero Academia manga, there were obvious sparks between them. Izuku's thoughts in the manga showed his interest in Uraraka and the latter also began to show feelings for him as the series progressed.

However, a lot of fans in the community have been very vocal about their ship of Deku and his childhood acquaintance, Katsuki Bakugo. They have known each for years and their relationship has had a lot of ups and downs, with Bakugo in particular being very mean and aggressive towards Deku. Despite those incidents, a lot of fans ship them together.

The problem, though, is that the ship has caused a lot of unhealthy discussions and debates in the fandom, with people downright hating the character of Uraraka. The reason for this? Getting in the way of the Deku and Bakugo ship. Regardless of a person's take on the matter, hating a character for that reason is very negative and unhealthy.

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A much more healthy relationship

There is nothing wrong with Deku or Bakugo being gay if Horikoshi decided to make that canon.

However, the message that a Deku and Bakugo ship would be quite negative. It would be so especially considering the years of torment and abuse that Bakugo delivered to Midoriya, it would be not a good example of what a relationship should be. It would be reminiscent of Masashi Kishimoto pairing Sakura with Sasuke in Naruto, for example.

On the other hand, Uraraka has always been a positive influence on Deku and vice versa. They have been in the academy since day 1 in the My Hero Academia manga and have supported each other through thick and thin. In fact, Midoriya used his nickname Deku, the one Bakugo used as an insult, as his hero name because of Uraraka's positive view on the matter.

So, Bakugo only connects with Deku in the latter's biggest insecurities and trauma while Uraraka pushes him to his best virtues in My Hero Academia. Likewise, Deku gives Uraraka space to grow and focus on her objective of making money for her parents, which shows the maturity and respect they have for each other. It's a much healthier pairing and one that allows both characters to grow and be themselves.

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Final thoughts

Bakugo and Deku's relationship is quite interesting and it adds layers to both characters but it shouldn't go into a romantic territory. This is why the Deku and Uraraka romance has worked a lot better. It makes more sense, it is a lot healthier for both characters, and Horikoshi has taken the time to develop it. Therefore, it is a much superior fit in the series.